In Praise of Dave
Late Show with David Letterman (Monday to Friday, late, Channel Ten), is a talk show that has been airing since 1993, after eleven years on another network. The host, David Letterman, is a cranky old man full of wit, weirdness, absurdity and intelligence.
Late Show has a format so good that Steve Vizard copied it, right down to Letterman’s coffee cup. The musical guests are always top-drawer artists who play live in the studio, and the stand-ups are usually only allowed on if their five minutes is a cracker. The celebrity interviews feature the most famous people on the planet, and it’s always worth tuning in if he has on one of his favoured regulars, like Bill Murray, Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis or Martin Short, who often have hysterical pre-arranged routines.
Local shopkeepers (Rupert’s Deli) and the crew are used to give a family feel to the show. Such regular features as the Top Ten List, Small Town News and Fun Facts (‘Fun Fact #64, if you’re name is Todd, it might as well be Scott’) are a highlight. The recent ‘Ventriloquist Week’ displayed a wealth of skilful performers with jaw-dropping and hilarious routines. Stupid Pet Tricks (a dog that can hold ten Frisbees in its mouth or one that talks) gave rise to Stupid Human Tricks (a guy who kicked himself in the head thirty times in thirty seconds.
Paul Shaffer is still fronting one of the powerhouse bands on television, boosting the energy with his nasally affirmations of Dave’s absurdities. Alan Kalter, Dave’s voice-over man, pitches in regularly with a segment in which he gets to interview a big star, who has, unfortunately, already talked to Dave. Kalter then spews forth a hilarious diatribe of bile aimed squarely at Letterman and the big celebrity. This sort of self-deprecating and absurdist humour is the yardstick of Late Show. Mercifully, the opening monologue has been reduced to a brief few minutes, but the writing remains as sharp as ever.
Recently, Dave has become obsessed with children since having one of his own. His questions to the big-star guests will dwell on their offspring (if they have any), which has the effect of humanising a celebrity we know mostly from unattractive shots in celebrity magazines. Dave’s interest in all things children and childish has softened his persona, as did heart surgery a few years back, but his fierce intelligence zeroes in on the dumb and the lame. Having a child has meant that Letterman is interested in the future of the planet and, consequently, has been focusing on climate change. He’s now pounding the American public with its dangers, interviewing experts and using pointed and funny jokes (‘We’re all dead meat!’).
Shunted around in its late slot by Channel Ten, Late Show with David Letterman is worth setting the video for, for its absurd humour and the sparkling ad-libs of a uniquely intelligent man.
This piece originally appeared in ‘The Big Issue’.
Matt Quartermaine is a Melbourne-based writer and comedian. With Matt Parkinson, Tim Smith and Andrew Goodone, he produces ‘The Chat’, a weekly podcast in which four grown men in comfortable chairs spill their guts. Click here to download it for free at iTunes.
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